Diabetes: Diabetes Treatment Plan Essay

Submitted By prettypink1
Words: 863
Pages: 4

Diabetes is one of the most common diseases in the U.S. There are two types of diabetes, Type 1 and Type 2. With Type 1 diabetes, your main problem is your body’s inability to produce insulin- the all-important hormone that converts blood sugar to energy. Without insulin, glucose will only continuously build up in your system. Type 1 diabetes involves about 10% of all people with diabetes in the United States. Type 1 diabetes is typically diagnosed during childhood or adolescence. It used to be referred to as juvenile-onset diabetes or insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus. It can occur in an older individual due to destruction of the pancreas by alcohol, disease, or removal by surgery. It also results from progressive failure of the pancreatic beta cells, the only cell type that produces significant amounts of insulin. People with type 1 diabetes require insulin treatment daily to sustain life. There is no cure for this type. With Type 2 diabetes, your body is able to produce insulin but only in adequate amounts. And if it is inadequate, your body is unable to make use of it completely and effectively. Although the pancreas still secretes insulin, the body of someone with type 2 diabetes is partially or completely unable to use this insulin. This is sometimes referred to as insulin resistance. The pancreas tries to overcome this resistance by secreting more and more insulin. People with insulin resistance develop type 2 when they fail to secrete enough insulin to cope with their higher demands. At least 90% of adult individuals with diabetes have type 2 diabetes. It is typically diagnosed in adulthood, usually after age 45 years. It used to be called adult-onset diabetes mellitus, or non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus. These names are no longer used because type 2 does occur in younger people, and some people with type 2 diabetes require insulin therapy. Type 2 is usually controlled with diet, weight loss, exercise, and oral medications. However, more than half of all people with type 2 diabetes require insulin to control their blood sugar levels at some point in the course of their illness. If someone suspects they have diabetes there are some symptoms. Hunger can be one, if you’re eating enough or even more than what you need, but you still end up feeling hungry. This is because the glucose coming from the food you eat isn't being converted to energy. As such, your system will still feel starved even if you've eaten enough for an army. Also high glucose level in your blood reduces fluid volume, which consequently make you feel thirstier more often. And of course, increased thirst will generally lead to increased frequency in urination. Going back to the unsuccessful conversion of blood sugar into energy, muscle tissues and fats won't be able to bulk up. The longer they're deprived of energy, the more they'll shrink in size. It's not surprising for diabetics suffering from insulin deficiency to suddenly experience rapid and excessive weight loss. Other symptoms are fatigue and blurry vision. Both type 1 and type 2 diabetes ultimately lead to high blood sugar levels, a condition called hyperglycemia. Over a long period of time, hyperglycemia damages the retina of the eye, the blood vessels of the kidneys, the nerves, and other blood vessels. Hypoglycemia or low blood sugar occurs